"Family Law" | A quiet examination of fathers and sons

There is nothing a good father wants more for his children than to see them do at least as well, if not better, than he did in his life and work. But knowing when and how to encourage one's offspring in that direction can be tricky, as Argentine filmmaker Daniel Burman underscores in the laid-back but poignant "Family Law."

The third part of Burman's trilogy about fatherhood (preceded by 2000's "Waiting for the Messiah" and 2004's "Lost Embrace"), "Family Law" offers a sweet, understated perspective on the psychological dance of wariness, hope and acceptance that occurs between many a father and son.

Bernardo Perelman (Arturo Goetz) is a successful 65-year-old Buenos Aires attorney who possesses what his son, Ariel (Daniel Hendler), calls a chameleonlike talent for blending into the unique worlds of his diverse but everyday clientele. The 30-ish Ariel has made a very different mark on the world as a law professor who often challenges student assumptions about the possibility of finding objective truth in justice.

Movie review

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"Family Law," with Arturo Goetz, Daniel Hendler, Julieta Diaz, Eloy Burman. Written and directed by Daniel Burman. Not rated; suitable for PG-13 audiences. 102 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles. Varsity.

There is an empty office in Bernardo's law firm set aside for Ariel. But Ariel seems content being his own man, rattling around in a world of principles he rarely applies.

Early in the movie, Ariel, while wooing his future wife, Sandra (Julieta Diaz), helps her with a legal problem but has to turn to Bernardo for a practical solution. Ariel says nothing about Bernardo's help but eventually realizes, in a lovely moment, that it would have made no difference to Sandra if he'd told her.

That's an example of the restraint with which Burman touches on emotionally loaded themes. Ariel's fear of being diminished by a father so seasoned and skillful is strictly in his head. Bernardo's virtues don't mean Sandra can't see the younger Perelman for the man he is, too, and there is something pure about the delicacy with which Burman handles that epiphany.

Barred from entering his office because of a health risk, Ariel finds himself at loose ends for a few weeks. He doesn't tell Sandra, but he spends the time getting to know both his father and his own son, Gastón (Eloy Burman, the director's child), better. Which is great, because both generations are trying to tell him something about legacies, and it's time to listen.

The nice thing about "Family Law" is that Ariel listens with a quiet but estimable wisdom.

Tom Keogh: tomwkeogh@yahoo.com